Table of Contents for Ticker Tape

TICKER TAPE: INTERNATIONAL

CHINA FOR RUSSIAN HIGH-SPEED LINE

Moscow seems to have given Beijng the vote of confidence on the recently signed agreement to build Russia’s first high-speed line is any indication. Chinese railway companies will build a 770 km high-speed line between Moscow and Kazan in collaboration with Russian firms. The agreement involves National Development and Reform Commission of China, Russia's Ministry of Transport, China Railway Corporation and Russian Railways (RZD). The high-speed line is part of the Moscow-Beijing railway project which seeks to construct a 7,000 km long railway connecting Russia, Kazakhstan and China. The line where the trains will travel at 400 km per hour will subtract travel time between Moscow and Kazan in the Republic of Tatarstan dramatically from 11.5 hours to 3.5 hours.

ARABTEC IN $40 BN EGYPT HOUSING PROJECT

Dubai based construction firm Arabtec has announced plans to launch the first phase of a $40 billion housing project in Egypt before the this year end. The company plans to construct one million homes in Egypt in a project backed by the Egyptian and UAE governments, as part of measures to reduce the country's housing shortage. Arabtec expects soon to conclude the final agreement with Egyptian authorities to begin construction. The company will not sell vacant land but affordable housing units. The first homes will be delivered in early 2017 and the entire project is slated for completion before 2020.

$381 MN FUJAIRAH CITY PLANNED

Authorities in the UAE have approved plans to build a $381 million city in Fujairah. The Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan City will comprise 1,100 residential units, and include schools, mosques, clinics, parks, shopping malls, and a community centre. It is reported the city will be located in the Al-Hail area behind Fujairah International Airport. Infrastructure for the project will be planned by the Fujairah Municipality.

EGYPT SIGNS SUEZ DREDGING CONTRACTS

Authorities in Egypt have awarded contracts to six international firms to carry out dredging of the new Suez Canal. The companies include National Marine Dredging Company of the UAE; the Netherlands based Royal Boskalis Westminster and Van Oord; Jan de Nul Group and Deme Group from Belgium; and U.S.-based Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company. The Suez Canal Authority also plans to develop 76,000 sq km in the area into an international industrial and logistics hub to attract more ships and generate income. The new canal is scheduled to be completed by August 2015. The project will require up to 36 dredgers to remove about 250 million cubic metres worth of material.

EXPANSION OF QATAR INTL AIRPORT

Plans for the expansion of the recently opened new Hamad International Airport passenger terminal in Doha are already afoot. It is reported Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said British architect, Sir Norman Foster was expected to wrap up his work“ Over the next few months”. Immediately following the finalisation of design, construction firms will be invited to bid on the extension project. The expansion, which includes addition of 24 new airplane gates will increase the size of the passenger terminal by 50 per cent, enlarging it to roughly 900,000 sq mt. The airport expansion is expected to be completed within the next three years.

CROSSRAIL TUNNELS COMPLETE

Train tunnels for Britain’s Crossrail project in Docklands and southeast London are now structurally complete, following the breakthrough by tunnel machine Ellie. It is Ellie’s second drive, having already completed a 2.7 km stretch from Pudding Mill Lane to Stepney Green. The machine will now be dismantled and returned to manufacturer Herrenknecht, with the parts recycled for future projects. The total funding available to deliver Crossrail is £14.8bn. The Crossrail route will pass through 40 stations and run more than 100 km from Reading and Heathrow in the west, through new twin-bore 21 km (13 miles) tunnels to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

NEW $18 BN AIRPORT FOR VIETNAM

Authorities in Vietnam have announced plans to construct a new $18 billion international airport in the south of the country. The Long Thanh International Airport to come up in three phases is expected to reduce the burden of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. The mega project will be constructed with about $3.98 billion from government bonds and official development assistance. The government money will be used towards site clearance and compensation and basic infrastructure construction, such as traffic systems and the airport's taxiways and aprons.

$1.9 bn FOR THAI AIRPORT EXPANSION

Thai authorities have approved of a $1.9 billion expansion plan for Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. A committee will be set up to look into the project details before presenting it to the Cabinet for approval. The expansion seeks to increase capacity at the airport to 80 million over the next five years. The $4 billion airport began operations in 2006 and has a current capacity to accommodate close to 45 million passengers annually. However, according to the airport, it handled approximately 50 million passengers last year. The country is also looking to build three provincial airports and a third runway at an approximate cost of $0.58 billion.

TICKER TAPE: INTERNATIONAL

CHINA FOR RUSSIAN HIGH-SPEED LINE

Moscow seems to have given Beijng the vote of confidence on the recently signed agreement to build Russia’s first high-speed line is any indication. Chinese railway companies will build a 770 km high-speed line between Moscow and Kazan in collaboration with Russian firms. The agreement involves National Development and Reform Commission of China, Russia's Ministry of Transport, China Railway Corporation and Russian Railways (RZD). The high-speed line is part of the Moscow-Beijing railway project which seeks to construct a 7,000 km long railway connecting Russia, Kazakhstan and China. The line where the trains will travel at 400 km per hour will subtract travel time between Moscow and Kazan in the Republic of Tatarstan dramatically from 11.5 hours to 3.5 hours.

ARABTEC IN $40 BN EGYPT HOUSING PROJECT

Dubai based construction firm Arabtec has announced plans to launch the first phase of a $40 billion housing project in Egypt before the this year end. The company plans to construct one million homes in Egypt in a project backed by the Egyptian and UAE governments, as part of measures to reduce the country's housing shortage. Arabtec expects soon to conclude the final agreement with Egyptian authorities to begin construction. The company will not sell vacant land but affordable housing units. The first homes will be delivered in early 2017 and the entire project is slated for completion before 2020.

$381 MN FUJAIRAH CITY PLANNED

Authorities in the UAE have approved plans to build a $381 million city in Fujairah. The Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan City will comprise 1,100 residential units, and include schools, mosques, clinics, parks, shopping malls, and a community centre. It is reported the city will be located in the Al-Hail area behind Fujairah International Airport. Infrastructure for the project will be planned by the Fujairah Municipality.

EGYPT SIGNS SUEZ DREDGING CONTRACTS

Authorities in Egypt have awarded contracts to six international firms to carry out dredging of the new Suez Canal. The companies include National Marine Dredging Company of the UAE; the Netherlands based Royal Boskalis Westminster and Van Oord; Jan de Nul Group and Deme Group from Belgium; and U.S.-based Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company. The Suez Canal Authority also plans to develop 76,000 sq km in the area into an international industrial and logistics hub to attract more ships and generate income. The new canal is scheduled to be completed by August 2015. The project will require up to 36 dredgers to remove about 250 million cubic metres worth of material.

EXPANSION OF QATAR INTL AIRPORT

Plans for the expansion of the recently opened new Hamad International Airport passenger terminal in Doha are already afoot. It is reported Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said British architect, Sir Norman Foster was expected to wrap up his work“ Over the next few months”. Immediately following the finalisation of design, construction firms will be invited to bid on the extension project. The expansion, which includes addition of 24 new airplane gates will increase the size of the passenger terminal by 50 per cent, enlarging it to roughly 900,000 sq mt. The airport expansion is expected to be completed within the next three years.

CROSSRAIL TUNNELS COMPLETE

Train tunnels for Britain’s Crossrail project in Docklands and southeast London are now structurally complete, following the breakthrough by tunnel machine Ellie. It is Ellie’s second drive, having already completed a 2.7 km stretch from Pudding Mill Lane to Stepney Green. The machine will now be dismantled and returned to manufacturer Herrenknecht, with the parts recycled for future projects. The total funding available to deliver Crossrail is £14.8bn. The Crossrail route will pass through 40 stations and run more than 100 km from Reading and Heathrow in the west, through new twin-bore 21 km (13 miles) tunnels to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

NEW $18 BN AIRPORT FOR VIETNAM

Authorities in Vietnam have announced plans to construct a new $18 billion international airport in the south of the country. The Long Thanh International Airport to come up in three phases is expected to reduce the burden of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. The mega project will be constructed with about $3.98 billion from government bonds and official development assistance. The government money will be used towards site clearance and compensation and basic infrastructure construction, such as traffic systems and the airport's taxiways and aprons.

$1.9 bn FOR THAI AIRPORT EXPANSION

Thai authorities have approved of a $1.9 billion expansion plan for Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. A committee will be set up to look into the project details before presenting it to the Cabinet for approval. The expansion seeks to increase capacity at the airport to 80 million over the next five years. The $4 billion airport began operations in 2006 and has a current capacity to accommodate close to 45 million passengers annually. However, according to the airport, it handled approximately 50 million passengers last year. The country is also looking to build three provincial airports and a third runway at an approximate cost of $0.58 billion.